What sort of things can your 8 year old cook/make?

[SecretSnake]

My 8 year old wants some more responsibility in the kitchen. Atm she can make toast, cereal, sandwiches etc. she often chops the veg for dinner and I let her stir things. But she wants to start using the oven and making things like lasagne and pies.
Too young? Or Aibu and over protective? She loves cooking.

Scrambled egg on toast. No sharp knives, no boiling water, no oven.
It means that DS can make a family light lunch single handed.

My 9yo DD baked a cake when she was 7, I put it in the oven for her. We are now starting to show her how to use the oven safely herself and always with our supervision.

I'd let her do the steps she is able, supervise and assist where needed, and put in/take out the oven so she isn't dealing with very hot trays.

My 8 year old could also make cupcakes / Victoria sponge, but I put them into / took them out of the oven.

Also, a special dessert for visiting grandparents etc. A bought sponge flan base, make up a packet of Angel Delight (banana or butterscotch) and spread it over, cover the Angel Delight with sliced banana, crumble over a chocolate flake. Genuinely useful to be able to leave 8 year old to produce pudding, plus lots of compliments from grandparents!

Very important - insist that cleaning up afterwards is part of cooking.

At that age my dd was too short to use our hob or oven safely. She could make microwave mug cakes though. She would prepare cakes, spice mixes for curries or chilli, chop and peel veg (not onions), stir jellies. But I dealt with any boiling water and the over/hob.

Age 11 she suddenly became more competent and by this age was making jam and fudge (under supervision), baking cakes entirely on her own (me not even in the kitchen), making hot chocolate, making her own hot lunches and cooking things in the oven or on th hob.

So it really hasn’t taken long. I guess if your child is tall and responsible you might let them do more at age 8, but it’s not something to take risks with for obvious reasons.

Cupcakes, scrambled eggs, stir fry and curries with a little guidance- good for her knife skills, pies and scones. I do everything to do with the often as she doesn't have steady hands but we're working up to it. Also toast, warming soup and baked beans etc

No she’s very short unfortunately! I think I’m going to get her to build things and then I’ll put them in the over etc. also our hob is gas and a bugger to light!

Very little. He’s happy to help as a ‘sous chef’ but we’re very much still working on knife skills.

Another family light lunch - baked beans on toast with cheese grated over it.

I'm always in the kitchen while he's cooking, but doing something else - unloading the dishwasher, peeling potatoes - so as far as DS is concerned he is producing lunch single handed. Add sliced banana and yoghurt for pudding and he's produced a two course meal.

He can make a sandwich, he's too short to reach everything else.

For those of you doing curries, stir fry etc, how do you navigate draining rice / noodles etc?

Nowt! I'm always amazed by the capable kids on these threads. I wouldn't trust my 8 year old with knives, heat or water. Or my 10 year old, for that matter.

7

But he can do pancakes, toast, scrambled eggs and boiled, beans, rice, basic stir fry, basic tomato sauce. He does need help, so he can make a tomato sauce, but will ask if he has enough onion etc and I supervise while he is using the hob, especially as he has to stand on something so I don’t want him falling off and grabbing the pan/hob. He is getting quite good at making roti now,

While his knife skills obviously aren’t amazing, he is a very good kitchen assistant, so while he enjoys helping I am taking full advantage.

My world kitchen on CBBC: www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/my-world-kitchen is all about kids making interesting recipes and most of the kids are around 8.

Cakes and pancakes.
Bruschetta
Sausages and potatoes + vegetables oven bake type thing.
Could use knives etc and the oven without supervision.
Not the hob where boiling was required because was too small to use safety in my opinion.

My 8 year old can use the kettle to make hot drinks, will put things in the oven but I take them out. Hob is always supervised because it’s gas - so open flame - if it was electric I would maybe be more chilled out about it.

8 years too young IMO and I had a tall, sensible DD. 12 is when I started teaching her to cook.

She can help you make things, but not do it herself.

DD turned 8 last week and has been able to make for almost a year:

Beans on toast (beans done in microwave, not hob), and pot noodles (understands to just pour one cup of water into the kettle so it's not too heavy to lift). She can do microwave meals in the microwave no problem, use the microwave to heat up soups etc and will do cereal and sandwiches.

I'm a single parent & got covid badly last summer - she "cooked" those sorts of meals for me and her younger siblings for about 4/5 days with zero supervision and zero help. She's an utter angel and I'm lucky to have her. Her younger brother is 7, and I don't even trust him to use an Umbrella appropriately outdoors when it's raining 😂 so sometimes it just depends on the child.

Dd is allowed to use the microwave and can make porridge or scrambled eggs and toast.

She can use the hob as long as me or DH is stood next to her so we can take the pan if needed.

Maybe Something on toast? Lasagnes and pies are fairly heavy duty. Perhaps a little older say 10 or 11.Cooking can be fairly hazardous TBH.I have burnt myself several times and cut myself too! Cakes maybe OK with supervision on oven handling

My 8 and 10 year olds can make a cup of tea. Cut veg or sandwiches. Scrambled eggs. Pot noodles.

10 year old can do a spag bol with instruction.

I think an 8 year old could make most things, but only with supervision. I wouldn't leave them alone with sharp knives or a hot hob, but would be happy if I was close by, watching them.

Cakes, pancakes, omelettes, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, meringue, soft pretzels, simple pastry, bread... anything easy out of the cookbook.

She doesn't need me in the kitchen and usually has her 7yo brother with her who she enjoys bossing around.

She's just started using the oven herself, but I supervise. I let the kids cook on the hob (gas), but I keep an eye to make sure they don't burn the house down.

I'm happy for my 9yo to make things involving the the hob, but not to drain a heavy pan of boiling water herself. Scrambled eggs, beans in the microwave, toast, no problem. She's fine chopping with sharp knives. I'd like to get her doing more, but we're all usually knackered by the time we need to cook and eat!

I was teaching 10/11yr olds in classes of 20/22 how to use the oven/how to chop/ peel and so on so I would think that provided the tasks are structured to give confidence most children would be ok. Teaching them HOW to negotiate an oven is better than doing it for them

If it's any help, the cubs cooking badge (8-10yo) is to make a 3 course meal and clear up afterwards.
At 8 DD coooked a full English breakfast (she wanted one, no adult was prepared to cook it so she made it herself -under supervision), pizza, risotto, cakes, chicken & ham pie (from scratch), torteloni, hotdog beans... her brother could do moules and ham egg and chips at 8 or 9.

At 12 she can do roast dinner (but needs a little bit of help with timings), and often cooks tea. She also makes a competition winning Victoria sponge.

Teaching kids to cook and wash up is definitely the best thing to do.

@JessicaBrassica the 3 course meal is generally something like beans on toast or a sandwich for the “main” though (I’m a Cub leader) also not something we’d be able/willing to do safely as a pack so would be something heavily supervised at home with “proof” being sent in for the badge. A couple of ours did it over lockdown but not a common/popular badge by any means with us!